A close-knit family is a good thing, right? In The Daytrippers, Long Island housewife Eliza finds a mysterious love letter in her husband's pocket. After sharing her fears with her parents, her sister, and her sister's boyfriend, the entire crew piles into the station wagon and heads for Manhattan to get to the bottom of things. Throughout this low-key odyssey, writer/director Mottola focuses on smaller battles, played wonderfully by his ensemble cast (Hope Davis, Parker Posey, Liev Schreiber) and resulting in an unexpected conclusion.

Tony Peltier